"That's not true."
Everyone looked at him.
Dalton's head snapped around.
"Kyle."
Kyle swallowed.
"They showed us."
Silence.
Owens stared at him.
"When?"
"At the bar."
"And what happened?"
Kyle looked at the floor.
"Dalton kicked the credential case."
Owens closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them, she looked different.
Professional.
Cold.
Focused.
She reached for the phone.
Dalton stepped forward.
"Patricia."
"No."
"Listen."
"No."
"We can handle this internally."
Owens picked up the phone.
"Lieutenant Grant."
Dalton grabbed the edge of the desk.
"Patricia."
She looked at him.
"You made your decision at the bar."
Then she spoke into the phone.
"Lieutenant, I need Internal Affairs here immediately."
Dalton's face tightened.
Owens continued.
"And notify federal authorities."
For the first time that night, Dalton looked frightened.
The twins remained silent.
They did not need to say anything.
The evidence had already begun speaking for them.
Lieutenant Michael Grant arrived seventeen minutes later.
He entered the precinct with Internal Affairs investigators behind him.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
No one joked.
No one raised their voice.
The officers who had been casually moving around the station suddenly became careful.
Grant entered the booking area.
"Where are the federal agents?"
Owens pointed toward the interview room.
Grant walked inside.
Danielle and Dominique stood as he entered.
"Agents Carter."
"Lieutenant."
Grant nodded.
"I apologize for the circumstances."
Danielle remained composed.
"An apology isn't necessary from you."
"I understand."
Dominique looked at him.
"We want the incident documented accurately."
"It will be."
"Every part."
"Yes."
Grant glanced at the handcuffs.
"Remove them."
Owens unlocked the cuffs.
Danielle rubbed her wrists.
Dominique did the same.
Grant turned toward Dalton.
"Sergeant, give me your account."
Dalton began speaking quickly.
"They became disorderly."
Grant listened.
"They refused lawful orders."
Grant continued listening.
"They assaulted Mark."
Mark looked uncomfortable.
Grant noticed.
"You were assaulted?"
Mark hesitated.
"She grabbed my wrist."
"Why?"
"I was trying to control her."
"Why?"
Mark said nothing.
Grant looked at Dalton.
"What happened before the arrest?"
Dalton answered.
"Nothing important."
That answer would become important.
Because Pine Hollow Bar had cameras.
And Luis Ramirez had already contacted investigators.
By midnight, authorities had secured the footage.
Three cameras covered the bar.
One showed the entrance.
One showed the bar.
One overlooked the booth.
The recordings were clear.
They showed Dalton approaching the sisters.
They showed Mark putting his hands on Dominique's chair.
They showed Dominique warning him.
They showed Dalton threatening to arrest the women.
And they showed the moment the credentials became visible.
Most importantly, they showed Dalton kicking the credential case.
Aaron Cole's phone recording added audio.
Every threat.
Every insult.
Every demand.
Every contradiction.
Luis gave investigators access to the entire system.
He also gave a statement.
For years, Dalton had allegedly used his position to pressure businesses.
Luis described requests for free food and drinks.
He described implied threats.
He described the fear of retaliation.
One statement became another.
Then another.
A local shop owner contacted investigators.
Then a restaurant manager.
Then a woman who had filed a complaint against Dalton years earlier.
The investigation widened.
Danielle sat in a federal office two days later with a thick folder in front of her.
Dominique sat across from her.
Neither sister spoke for several minutes.
Finally, Dominique said:
"There's more here."
Danielle nodded.
"Much more."
They reviewed old complaints.
Some had been closed.
Some had disappeared.
Some had been labeled unsubstantiated.
Others had been abandoned by complainants.
The pattern was difficult to ignore.
Danielle leaned back.
"You know what bothers me?"
"What?"
"How many people probably walked away because they didn't think anyone would believe them."
Dominique looked at the folder.
"That's why we're finishing this."
Danielle nodded.
"We're not the story."
"What?"
"We're not the point."
Dominique understood.
The badge had helped reveal the truth.
But it was not supposed to be the reason the truth mattered.
The real question was what happened to people who never carried a federal credential.
That question would become central to the investigation.
Meanwhile, Rick Dalton had stopped sleeping.
Mark Stevens had stopped answering messages.
Kyle Boyd had requested legal counsel.
And Patricia Owens had begun reviewing five years of internal records.
What she found made her uneasy.
Dalton's name appeared repeatedly.